title: Comparison of erythropoietin and sildenafil protective role against ischemia/reperfusion injury of the testis in adult rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tissue damage in testicular torsion/detorsion is caused not only by the ischemia, but also by the ischemia/reperfusion injury after detorsion. Erythropoietin and sildenafil are considered to protect against ischemia/reperfusion injury. Here, we studied and compared their actions in testicular torsion/detorsion in adult rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two adult male Wistar Albino rats were divided into four groups. Rats in group A (n = 5) were sham operated. Rats in group B (n = 5), group C (n = 6) and group D (n = 6) underwent torsion of the right testis and detorsion after 90 min. No pharmaceutical intervention was performed in group B. Erythropoietin (1,000 IU/kg) and sildenafil (0.7 mg/kg) were injected intraperitoneally in groups C and D, respectively, after 60 min of torsion. All animals were killed 24 h after detorsion, and their right testis was extracted, placed into 10 % formalin solution and sent for histopathological examination. The histological changes in the testes were scored according to the four-point grading system proposed by Cosentino et al.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All rats in group A had normal testicular architecture (grade 1). The untreated group B had a mean grade of 3.81 (range 3.65-4). The treated groups C (mean grade 3.24; range 3.05-3.45) and D (2.69, range 2.4-2.9) presented statistically significant better results (lower grades) compared with the untreated group B. Group D had significantly better results (lower grades) than group C.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The intraperitoneal injection of erythropoietin and sildenafil protects against ischemia/reperfusion injury after testicular torsion and detorsion. Sildenafil may have a stronger action than erythropoietin at the doses used in this study.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Surgery, Attikon University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, 1 Rimini Street, Chaidari, 12462, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zavras
authors.forename: Ioannis D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Kostakis
authors.forename: Stratigoula
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakellariou
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Damaskos
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roupakas
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tsagkari
authors.forename: Eleftherios
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Spartalis
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Velaoras
authors.forename: Ismene A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Dontas
authors.forename: Theodore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Karatzas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007274:Injections, Intraperitoneal; D008297:Male; D058986:Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010879:Piperazines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011687:Purines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D013086:Spermatic Cord Torsion / Q000150:complications*; D013450:Sulfones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013737:Testis / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D058986:Phosphodiesterase 5 Inhibitors; D010879:Piperazines; D011687:Purines; D013450:Sulfones; D004921:Erythropoietin; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate